Results of Study on Lutheran Colleges and Universities Reported

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutheran colleges are far more effective than leading public universities at involving students in the classroom, according to "Reclaiming Lutheran Students," a study prepared by the Lutheran Educational Conference of North America (LECNA). The board of the Division for Higher Education and Schools (DHES) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) received results of the study at its meeting here Sept. 24-26.
The 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA are also more effective than leading public universities at creating interaction between students and professors; engaging students in internships, foreign study and other applied learning opportunities; generating student participation in music, theater, athletics, student service and other extracurricular programs; and integrating consideration of values and ethics in classroom discussions, providing students of all faiths with greater opportunities for the development of faith and values, said Lee Johnson, director of admissions at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn. Johnson delivered the findings of the study to the DHES board.
The study's project committee, composed of presidents and directors of Lutheran colleges and universities, concluded that Lutheran institutions compete for students with public and other private institutions.
"Recapturing a market share of Lutheran students will effectively address admission challenges at many LECNA member colleges," Johnson said. ELCA colleges and universities are members of LECNA.
The study was undertaken "because relatively few Lutheran high school students choose to attend a Lutheran college," said Arne Selbyg, ELCA director for colleges and universities. "The proportion of students (at ELCA higher education institutions) raised in Lutheran congregations has been decreasing."
Most ELCA colleges have increased their total enrollment, and "are in healthier financial situations than a few years ago," said Selbyg.
"Presidents of Lutheran colleges and universities wanted to know how the educational experience at their institutions compared to the education offered by other private and public institutions. They also wanted to know how it compared to what parents of Lutheran high school students were looking for and what church leaders were looking for from ELCA colleges and universities," Selbyg said.
Researchers asked 640 church leaders and 900 parents of ninth- and 10th-graders what their expectations were for an undergraduate education. About 600 alumni of Lutheran colleges, 600 alumni of other private colleges, 600 alumni of leading public universities, and 600 alumni of other public colleges and universities were asked to what extent undergraduate experiences influenced their careers and lives.
More than 85 percent of Lutheran college and university graduates surveyed said they benefitted from small classes (an average of 20 students per classroom), while 35 percent of leading public institution graduates surveyed said they experienced small classes, Johnson reported.
Sixty percent of Lutheran college graduates said one or more of their professors served as mentors, while 40 percent of public university alumni provided a similar response.
More than 80 percent of Lutheran colleges examined reported personal interaction between students and faculty, while 50 percent of public colleges studied reported faculty and student interaction, Johnson said.
"There was a stronger sense of community among students attending Lutheran higher education institutions than students attending public colleges and universities," Johnson said.
More than 90 percent of Lutheran colleges surveyed employ high quality, teaching-oriented faculty, whereas 76 percent of public institutions reviewed said they employ high-quality, teaching-oriented faculty.
"Claims Lutheran colleges and universities can make about the undergraduate experience include a commitment to good teaching and a personalized learning experience, a strong sense of community and the value of involvement beyond the classroom, and the integration of faith and values into the college experience," Johnson told the DHES board.
"We can claim that graduates of Lutheran colleges and universities are better prepared for vocations, express a different set of values, and are more involved in their churches and communities than alumni of larger public universities," Johnson said.
"Lutheran college graduates from the classes of 1958 to 1993 reported themselves to be better prepared with career skills than public university graduates," said Johnson.
"Lutheran college graduates demonstrate a set of personal values that place greater importance on concerns for social justice, raising families and moral and ethical considerations," Johnson said. "In their communities and congregations, Lutheran college graduates are more frequent contributors as members, volunteers and donors than graduates of public institutions."
About 85 percent of Lutheran colleges and universities surveyed placed an emphasis on personal values and ethics, while 35 percent of the public institutions examined placed an emphasis on personal values and ethics.
Students at Lutheran colleges learned more about their faith and helped integrate faith into other aspects of life during their college years more than students did at public institutions, Johnson said.
"Students at Lutheran colleges aspire to use their best skills and abilities, provide direction through leadership roles, and have the opportunity to learn new information and skills at a higher percentage than students at public colleges," Johnson said.
"Compared to graduates of public universities, Lutheran college graduates express a different set of values. They place a higher value on family, ethical and religious concerns than financial advantage. Lutheran college graduates are also more active in their churches and communities," Johnson said.
The parent research component of the "Reclaiming Lutheran Students" study show that while Lutheran parents are willing to consider Lutheran colleges, most did not attend a private, let along Lutheran college, said Johnson.
"Lutheran parents considering Lutheran colleges do not understand the importance of student involvement (resources such as faculty, reputation and facilities are a surrogate), and do not believe that these involvement factors are more likely to be found at Lutheran colleges. They have a low level of familiarity with Lutheran colleges (they can only name a few of the ELCA's 28 colleges and universities) and, consequently, they do not believe that Lutheran colleges are worth the tuition they charge," Johnson said. Further, they underestimate the available financial aid, he said.
Through the "Reclaiming Lutheran Students" study, "we've learned that Lutheran college graduates are significantly more likely to graduate in four years, are just as likely to have earned an advanced degree, have similar income levels as their public university counterparts, and are more satisfied with the overall quality of the education they received," said Johnson.
With analysis of "Reclaiming Lutheran Students" now available, the project's committee sees a "strategic opportunity to educate Lutheran parents and other constituents, close the gap between the reality of Lutheran college performance and constituent perception, and increase the market share of Lutheran students attending Lutheran colleges from less than 5 percent to 6 percent," said Johnson. "This one point increase in market share would translate to an increase of 20 percent in the actual number of Lutheran students enrolled on our campuses."
Dr. Joel J. Cunningham, president of Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa., said Lutheran colleges and universities tend to have "a stronger focus on international conn